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CentralCommand vs Housecall Pro
Everything HCP charges extra for — included at one flat price
Housecall Pro looks affordable at $79/month. Then you discover the payment markup (2.59% on every transaction), the add-on fees (pipeline, AI, campaigns), and the tier-locked features (QuickBooks at $189/mo). Here's what you're really paying.
What Housecall Pro Users Complain About
Payment processing markup: 2.59%+ on every card payment — on $30K/mo that's $777/mo going to HCP
CRM pipeline is a paid add-on — not included in any standard plan
QuickBooks sync requires $189/mo Essentials tier or above
AI features (assistant, campaigns) are all paid add-ons
Sales Proposal tool (good-better-best estimates) is an add-on
Users report being locked into monthly contracts they can't exit
Instapay (fast deposits) charges additional fees
Mobile app loses functionality without cell service
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | CentralCommand | Housecall Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Zero Payment Markup | Included | 2.59%+ on all payments |
| CRM Pipeline | Included | Paid add-on |
| QuickBooks Sync | Included | $189/mo tier |
| AI Assistant | Included | Paid add-on |
| AI Site Assessment | Included | Not available |
| Unified Inbox (Email+SMS+Calls) | Included | SMS only |
| Smart Review Gating | Included | Basic reviews only |
| Calendly-Style Meetings | Included | Basic booking only |
| Good-Better-Best Estimates | Included | Sales Proposal add-on |
| Inspection Checklists | Included | $149/mo+ tier |
| Real-Time Dispatch + Routing | Included | Included |
| "On My Way" Texts | Included | Included |
| Live Customer Tracking Map | Included | Not available |
| Customer Portal | Included | Included |
| Online Booking Widget | Included | Included |
| Photo Documentation | Included | $149/mo+ tier |
| E-Signatures | Included | Included |
| Vendor Portal | Included | Not available |
| Email Campaigns | Included | Paid add-on |
Real Pricing Comparison (5-Person Team)
Housecall Pro
Housecall Pro MAX (5 users)~$329/mo
Pipeline add-on~$50/mo
AI add-on~$50/mo
Campaign add-on~$50/mo
Payment markup (2.59% on $30K/mo)$777/mo
Monthly total~$1,256/mo
CentralCommand
Everything included — one price$279/mo
Add-ons neededNone
Payment markup$0
Monthly total$279/mo
Save $11,724+ per year
Where We Win
Zero payment revenue share — Stripe standard rates, we don't add a penny
On $30K/month in payments, save $777/month vs HCP's 2.59% markup
CRM pipeline with lead scoring included (HCP: paid add-on)
QuickBooks sync on all plans (HCP: $189/mo tier required)
Unified inbox — email, SMS, and calls in one timeline (HCP has SMS only)
AI Site Assessment — walk + talk + photograph → priced estimate
Smart review gating — 4-5★ to Google, 1-3★ captured privately (HCP: basic reviews only)
Calendly-style meetings with round robin (HCP: basic online booking only)
Inspection checklists with photo enforcement and voice completion
Vendor/subcontractor portal with bid packages (HCP: none)
No add-on fees — everything included at one price
Where Housecall Pro Does Well
200K+ user community and strong brand recognition
Spanish language support for multilingual teams
Instapay — 30-minute deposits (at additional cost)
Consumer financing via Wisetack integration
More mature product with longer track record
Dedicated mobile app with strong field worker UX
“You're paying $329/month for HCP MAX, plus add-ons for pipeline, AI, and campaigns — probably $500-600/month total. And they're taking 2.59% of every payment on top. That's $777/month in payment markup alone. With CentralCommand, you get all of that for $279/month, and we never touch your payment revenue. Ever.”